Why Some Animals Can Tell More From Less
Researchers find that densely packed neurons play an outsize role in quantitative skill—calling into question old assumptions about evolution......»»
Study shows copper beads in pig feed reshape swine gut microbiome
Copper is a natural antimicrobial material that, when added to pig feed, may promote the growth and health of the animals. Since pigs can tolerate high levels of the metal, researchers at Texas Tech University in Amarillo recently investigated whethe.....»»
Climate change is wiping out rare bacteria in a "greening" Antarctica
Plenty is known about the existential threat of climate change to plants and animals. But by comparison, we know very little about how microorganisms will be affected by climate change......»»
Plastic pollution can kill variety of ocean embryos
High levels of plastic pollution can kill the embryos of a wide range of ocean animals, new research shows......»»
How do Australia"s desert animals avoid inbreeding during dry spells?
Some Australian desert mammals use distinct strategies to promote evolutionary fitness in response to changing environmental conditions over short timescales, according to a new study......»»
Researchers discover new clues to how tardigrades can survive intense radiation
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have discovered that tardigrades—microscopic animals famed for surviving harsh extremes—have an unusual response to radiation......»»
Iconic savanna mammals face genetic problems due to fences and roads
Whether by way of Attenborough, Disney or National Geographic, the iconic scene is familiar to many. The ground trembles and clouds of dust swirl as enormous hordes of large animals thunder across the African savanna, cross rivers en masse and are pi.....»»
Traces of DNA in the stomachs of predatory snails provide new insights into the ecology of placozoans
Placozoans are among the simplest animals and occur worldwide in coastal waters. It was previously assumed that the tiny creatures, which measure just a few millimeters, live either on hard surfaces—such as rocks, corals, and mangrove roots—or fl.....»»
Scientists explore deep sea around Easter Island, find strange animals
Scientists on a deep ocean research expedition around Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and other seamounts along the Salas y Gómez Ridge in the Pacific Ocean spotted as many as 60 new deep sea species. The mountains of the ocean teem with otherworldly.....»»
Experts determine best way to breed frogs in captivity
Frogs belong to a group of animals called amphibians—the most endangered group of species on the planet. Two out of every five amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction, and this figure is rising......»»
Study shedding new light on Earth"s global carbon cycle could help assess liveability of other planets
Research has uncovered important new insights into the evolution of oxygen, carbon, and other vital elements over the entire history of Earth—and it could help assess which other planets can develop life, ranging from plants to animals and humans......»»
Clovis people may have also used Clovis points to butcher animals
A team of archaeologists and anthropologists from multiple institutions in the U.S. has found evidence that the Clovis, an early North American population, may have used so-called Clovis points for more than spearpoints—they may have also used them.....»»
Impact of climate change on marine life shown to be much bigger than previously known
Fish and invertebrate animals are far more affected by warmer and more acidic seawater than was previously known. This is the conclusion of a study co-led by NIOZ marine biologist Katharina Alter, based on a new analysis method published in Nature Co.....»»
How Will the Solar Eclipse Affect Animals? NASA Needs Your Help to Find Out
NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes project will collect observations and soundscapes recorded by the public during the April 8 total solar eclipse......»»
Q&A: How do animals react to a solar eclipse?
On April 8, many of us will be huddling behind protective glasses and feasting our eyes on a rare solar stunner. But the sun's eye-catching performance won't be the only thing on display. You may also notice our animal friends behaving oddly......»»
Research shows animals can live alongside humans by being experts at judging risk
New research suggests animals can thrive in human-dominated environments by being expert judges of risk. Alexis Breen from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, and Dominik Deffner from the Max Planck Institute for Human.....»»
Hundreds of animals were rescued after the Black Summer bushfires, but how many actually survived?
The horrific Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20 burned more than 8 million hectares of vegetation across southeastern Australia. An estimated 3 billion animals were caught in the fire zone......»»
New research reveals that chickens were widely raised across southern Central Asia from 400 BCE
Chickens are one of the most economically important animals in the world today. However, the story of their origins and dispersal across the ancient world is still poorly understood. In fact, new archaeological techniques have recently led to the rec.....»»
Ancient Adélie penguin DNA reveals that small repeats persist for hundreds of millions of years
Microsatellites are valuable tools for studying inheritance, genetic diversity, and population dynamics across a wide range of organisms including bacteria, plants, animals, and fungi. These short, repeating sequence motifs are a common feature of bo.....»»
Q&A: Archaeologist"s fieldwork finds movement of crops, animals played a key role in domestication
Archaeologist Xinyi Liu at Washington University in St. Louis teamed up with Martin Jones of the University of Cambridge to write a new paper for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that explains how recent research is connecting the.....»»
Impact of synbiotic supplements on the gut microbiome and overall health of penguins
The gut microflora plays a pivotal role in the overall well-being of all living organisms. Like their multifaceted and beneficial role in humans, the role of the gut microbiome in maintaining health, behavior, and ecology of animals is unequivocal. N.....»»